Many printers employing fixed printing elements have been shown in the prior art. Most of these employ discrete printer elements which are energized to produce heat to generate dots on heat sensitive paper or to effect transfer of heat-transfer ink on to plain paper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,046 (Boyton et al) shows a system in which a single bar of resistive material extends across a sheet to be printed. The bar is divided into printing elements by connections along its sides in a zig-zag formation. When a current is applied through adjacent connection on opposite sides, the portion of the bar therebetween is heated to produce a dot on the paper. In the related application cited above, a printer employing a heated bar system is described. That system differs from the prior bar system in that two print bars are employed. Drive lead connections are made to each bar separately and further connections are made to both bars. For each connection to both bars, currents can be established through the bars to any of four of the separate connections adjacent thereto.